Packages of the above kind, i.e. egg packages formed of a fibrous material are known in within the art. Among these a large number of different packages have been described. Such packages generally comprise a bottom part with a plurality of egg-receiving compartments. The plurality of egg receiving compartments is usually arranged in at least two parallel rows. The bottom part is often hingedly connected to a cover part so as to allow the cover part to move between an open position and a closed position. The cover part usually comprises a top surface, a front surface, a back surface, and two end surfaces.
Most such egg packages are furthermore provided with retainment means for releasably retaining the cover part in its closed position on the bottom part and a large number of different retainment means for this purpose has been described. For example the documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,782,995, 5,860,528, EP 1 098 826 and EP 1 995 185 describes various retainment means for egg packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,648 discloses an egg package of paper pulp having a pocketed section mutually hinged to a flat bottom cover section, both said sections comprising tapered walls bordering on said hinge, the external surfaces of said tapered walls bordering on said hinge comprising abutting elements projecting abutting elements cooperating together to limit the inverted folding around said hinge. The egg packages may be stacked in their flat open condition with the bottoms of the cover sections of a number of stacked containers maintained parallel thus allowing easy unstacking by mechanical devices such as suction-cups equipped unstackers. The pocket section is provided with upwardly extending retainment projections, each having an outwardly extending retainment projection for locking engagement with corresponding apertures in the cover part.
Similarly, US 2005/0238764 discloses an egg package having a bottom part with a plurality of egg receiving compartments, said bottom part being hinged to a cover part.
The bottom part is provided with upwardly extending retainment projections, each having an outwardly and downwardly extending retainment projection for locking engagement with corresponding apertures in the front side of the cover part.
However, it may be a problem with the known egg packages that their retainment means require the use of a bottom flap, i.e. a flap extending from the bottom part and which comprises locking means that are adapted to cooperate with corresponding locking means on the cover part, and possibly also a high rear hinge connecting the bottom part and the cover part, as illustrated in for example EP 1 098 826, in order to provide a sufficiently reliable closing and locking mechanism.